Whats the law about Garage Sales

[Quillan]

New kitchen, sorting out the garage, load of junk to get ride of. One mans junk is another mans treasure so they say so I was wondering about having a garage sale. What are the legal ramifications on holding a garage sale (and advertising it) for just your stuff in your own home? I am sure there was a post on this years back but I can't find it so I apologise in advance for asking the same question.

[NickP]

[quote user="Quillan"]

New kitchen, sorting out the garage, load of junk to get ride of. One mans junk is another mans treasure so they say so I was wondering about having a garage sale. What are the legal ramifications on holding a garage sale (and advertising it) for just your stuff in your own home? I am sure there was a post on this years back but I can't find it so I apologise in advance for asking the same question.

[/quote]

If you're doing this in France as I'm sure you are Q, For every item think of the most outrageous price you can think of and then double it, this is what the locals do where we are at the "boot sales" also have look on le Bon Coin for price guides or like I do for a good laugh now and then. [:D]

[idun]

I think that you would have to ask at your Mairie.

Our prefecture was very strict and they were so afraid that stolen goods would be sold, as if there'd be any of that sort of thing in France[Www] so I reckon it wouldn't be possible to do. However, you don't live where I used to live, do you. So go and ask.

[Tancrède]

[quote user="Quillan"]I am sure there was a post on this years back…[/quote]

Yes, it was indeed several years back, and the long and short of it was that some hatchet-faced busy-body (female I think) who ran a nearby junk shop delated him, he was visited by the maire, the adjoint, the gendarme, or Someone Else Very Important and told to desist immediately under threat of various pains and penalties, etc. etc.

Why not take a pitch at your local, or nearest, vide grenier ?  I believe one is entitled, at least sporadically, to offer one's own possessions for public sale at such occasions.

[Clair]

As far as I remember, it's considered as a "private" vide-grenier and the same rules apply: declaration at the mairie; not more than twice a year; no registered dealer; list of vendor(s) held by the organiser (including name, address and copy of ID); attestation sur l'honneur that the vendor(s) has not already participated in 2 other such sales in the same commune in the same year...

As it's held on private land,  declaration is made at the mairie at least 15 days before the date of the "vide-grenier".

Within  8 days of the sale, the list (registre) is signed by the maire, then passed on by him to the préfecture.

As it's not held on the public highway (la voie publique), there is little likelihood of the mairie having grounds to refuse authorisation provided all the above requirements are met.

Be prepared for a visit by the gendarmes, as they are entitled to ensure you are not selling prohibited or stolen goods.

Ensure there is no danger for your buyers.

Edit: More info: vide-greniers.org/reglementation/

Edit: if you're considering going through that all rigmarole, why not ask a couple of trusted neighbours to join in?

[Mikep]

Depends on what you feel they are worth, and how much you need the proceeds. A few times with items we no longer wanted, we've left them by the poubelles, and they've been scavenged within hours - obviously with no payment. Other times we've taken them to the dechetterie and the attendant has welcomed them for recycling - he may make a few euros, but good luck to him.

It works both ways - I recycled a child's bike (geddit?) from beside our poubelles for the grandchildren, spent a bit on inner tubes etc., and they had the benefit for a few years. It's now gone back the same way.

[Quillan]

Not desperate or anything but some fo the stuff is almost new like we have one of these Philips "Wake Up" lights with a "Bird Song" alarm, used once and sat in the box for over a year.

It's laziness coupled with not enough time really. I could box it all up and take it the local market which has 'brocante' (better know as junk) stalls on Saturday but standing in the rain and cold does not really turn me on. I could do Ebay or whatever but then I need to photo everything etc.

My thoughts were to shove them in to different box's and just to let people come to my garage and have some set prices for each set of box's like 1, 2 and 5 Euros depending on size and quality. Mrs Q collects teapot's (the shaped ones like baths, globes, boats etc) and Wedge-wood china, well she did, she has now lost interest and does not want it anymore. It's too good to bin but I doubt there is a big market for it in France and it's too much hassle putting them on Ebay UK and posting them. My garage holds two cars comfortably, it would be nice if I could get just one in if you know what I mean. [;-)]

[suein56]

[quote user="Quillan"]It's laziness coupled with not enough time really. My garage holds two cars comfortably, it would be nice if I could get just one in if you know what I mean. [;-)][/quote]

We did exactly that in the UK before we left for France and it worked a treat; but I digress.

We have some French friends who sold their big, comfortable house in Paris to retire to our corner of Brittany where they had had built an ultra modern holiday/future retirement home. The two styles being chalk and cheese they needed to offload stuff from the Paris house as easily and as quickly as possible, so they held an ongoing garage sale for about a fortnight in the garage of the Brittany house. They emailed all their many friends, told everyone else verbally and got rid of almost everything; the rest went to charity. It was a huge success.

Did they inform the mairie, I have no idea. Did the police come round, no.

So, do as Clair suggests, tell the maire, fill in all the forms and have a good sale. [:)]

Sue

[Judie]

We had a garage sale not long before we moved back last year. I had no idea I had to inform the gendarmes or Maire (I'm a village councillor), and anyway he came along to buy some bits and pieces! Rural France at its non conformist best!

[LEO]

( Whats the law about Garage Sales ? )

I cannot believe that someone would ask this question!

Just pick a day ,spread the goods out on your property ,with price tags.

Job done. 

[Quillan]

Well Leo it's like this. I seem to remember from the previous now gone thread that there are rules and what you propose, which seems quite logical to me as well, is not really allowed in France which is why I asked. I am one of these guys that everyone seems t get away with things except for me, I always get caught, so I prefer to do things proper like. [;-)]